House File 695 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 695
BY ISENHART
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring public meetings related to energy efficiency
2 plans filed by rate-regulated gas or electric utilities with
3 the utilities board within the utilities division of the
4 department of commerce.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSB 2650YH (3) 89
jda/rn
 H.F. 695
1 Section 1. Section 476.6, subsection 15, Code 2021, is
2 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. g. A gas or electric utility required to
4 be rate-regulated under this chapter shall, in coordination
5 with the office of consumer advocate and in accordance with
6 this paragraph, arrange and conduct public meetings with each
7 community action agency within the gas or electric utility’s
8 service territory in each county where the gas or electric
9 utility provides service. The gas or electric utility shall
10 pay all costs of the public meetings, including costs incurred
11 by the community action agency, from moneys approved by the
12 board for the promotion of customer participation in energy
13 efficiency plans.
14 (1) One meeting shall be conducted when the gas or electric
15 utility is preparing a new energy efficiency plan to discuss
16 energy efficiency programs that may be included in the plan.
17 (2) One meeting shall be conducted when the gas or electric
18 utility is preparing a modification of an energy efficiency
19 plan to discuss the proposed modification. The office of
20 consumer advocate may waive the requirement for a meeting under
21 this subparagraph if requested by the gas or electric utility
22 and the community action agency.
23 (3) One meeting shall be conducted after the gas or electric
24 utility has prepared a new energy efficiency plan but before
25 the gas or electric utility has filed the plan to seek input on
26 the plan.
27 (4) One meeting shall be conducted after the gas or
28 electric utility has prepared a modification of an energy
29 efficiency plan but before the gas or electric utility has
30 submitted an application to modify the plan to seek input on
31 the modification of the plan. The office of consumer advocate
32 may waive the requirement for a meeting under this subparagraph
33 if requested by the gas or electric utility and the community
34 action agency.
35 (5) One meeting shall be conducted during the
LSB 2650YH (3) 89
-1- jda/rn 1/2
 H.F. 695
1 implementation of an energy efficiency plan to encourage
2 participation in the plan and review its performance.
3 EXPLANATION
4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
5 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
6 This bill requires public meetings related to energy
7 efficiency plans filed by rate-regulated gas or electric
8 utilities with the utilities board within the utilities
9 division of the department of commerce.
10 The bill requires rate-regulated gas or electric utilities
11 to, in coordination with the office of consumer advocate,
12 arrange and conduct public meetings related to energy
13 efficiency plans with each community action agency within the
14 gas or electric utility’s service territory in each county
15 where the gas or electric utility provides service.
16 The bill requires a meeting to be conducted when the gas or
17 electric utility is preparing a new energy efficiency plan,
18 after the gas or electric utility has prepared a new plan but
19 before the gas or electric utility has filed the plan, and
20 during the implementation of a plan. Additionally, the bill
21 requires a meeting to be conducted when the gas or electric
22 utility is preparing a modification of a plan and after the
23 gas or electric utility has prepared a modification of a
24 plan but before the gas or electric utility has submitted
25 an application to modify the plan. The bill authorizes the
26 consumer advocate to waive the requirement for meetings related
27 to the modification of a plan if requested by the gas or
28 electric utility and the community action agency.
29 The bill requires the gas or electric utility to pay all
30 costs of the public meetings, including costs incurred by the
31 community action agency, from moneys approved by the utilities
32 board within the utilities division of the department of
33 commerce for the promotion of customer participation in energy
34 efficiency plans.
LSB 2650YH (3) 89
-2- jda/rn 2/2